Biomarker testing

Biomarkers may help determine the best treatment for you1

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This website is only intended for UK patients who have been prescribed TAGRISSO® (osimertinib)

Home  |  Know your lung cancer
Biomarker testing

Biomarker testing

Biomarkers may help determine the best treatment for you1

By now, you’ve already had biomarker testing and your tumour tested positive for a certain Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) biomarker which is why your doctor chose osimertinib for your type of lung cancer.2-4

Let’s take a step back and learn a little bit more about biomarkers.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) biomarkers are molecules found on the surface of cells, or in the genes that instruct the cells how to behave. Certain biomarkers can be the drivers that cause cancer cells to grow and spread. Biomarkers vary between different cancers and people, which is why it’s important to test for them. Your doctor can decide the possible treatments for your cancer type to potentially prevent it from coming back, or from growing and spreading.5-8

Biomarker testing is an important part of your complete diagnosis. You may also hear it referred to as:8,9

  • mutation testing
  • genetic testing
  • molecular testing
  • genomic testing

One of the common biomarkers that your doctor will look for is an EGFR biomarker. The presence of the EGFR biomarker in people with NSCLC ranges from 10% to 15% in Caucasian patients and up to 60% in East-Asian patients.10 The EGFR biomarker is found mostly in patients with adenocarcinoma*, and is more frequent in women, patients who never smoked or used to smoke lightly, and patients of East Asian origin.11

*Adenocarcinoma is a subtype of NSCLC. It is usually found in the outer parts of the lung and is more likely to be found before it has spread to other parts of the body.12

There are 2 ways to test for biomarkers:8
 

Biopsy
 

Healthcare professionals often test for biomarkers with a biopsy, where tissue is removed from a tumour to be tested. With early-stage EGFR-positive NSCLC, a sample of the tissue may be removed during surgery.13-15

Biomarkers biopsy test image
Biomarkers biopsy test image

Blood test
 

A blood test, which is sometimes referred to as a liquid biopsy or plasma test, is another option for both early- and late-stage
EGFR-positive NSCLC.16,17

Biomarkers blood test image
Biomarkers blood test image

What is
osimertinib

Osimertinib is not chemotherapy or immunotherapy

References:

  1. Lung Cancer Research Foundation. Comprehensive Biomarker Testing for Lung Cancer. Available at: https://www.lungcancerresearchfoundation.org/for-patients/comprehensive-biomarker-testing-for-lung-cancer/ Accessed December 2023.
  2. Tagrisso 40 mg and 80 mg film coated tablets. Summary of product characteristics. 
  3. Tagrisso 40 mg and 80 mg film coated tablets. Patient Information Leaflet. 
  4. American Cancer Society (ACS). Targeted Drug Therapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Last reviewed: Last Revised: 15 Aug 2022. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer/treating-non-small-cell/targeted-therapies.html Accessed December 2023. 
  5. My Cancer. What are biomarkers? Available at: https://www.mycancer.com/resources/what-are-biomarkers/#:~:text=Biomarkers%20are%20molecules%20that%20indicate,indicate%20something%20about%20your%20health. Accessed December 2023. 
  6. NIH NCI dictionary. Biomarker. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/biomarker Accessed December 2023. 
  7. Pirker R. J Oncol Pract. 2017;13(4):231-232. 
  8. NIH. Biomarker Testing for Cancer Treatment. Last reviewed: 14 Dec 2019. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/biomarker-testing-cancer-treatment Accessed December 2023. 
  9. Everyday health. What You Need to Know About Testing for Tumor Mutations in Metastatic Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. Available at: https://www.everydayhealth.com/lung-cancer/what-you-need-to-know-about-testing-for-tumor-mutations-in-metastatic-non-small-cell-lung-cancer/ Accessed December 2023. 
  10. ESMO. EGFR IN LUNG CANCER: ESMO BIOMARKER FACTSHEET. Available at: https://oncologypro.esmo.org/education-library/factsheets-on-biomarkers/egfr-in-lung-cancer Accessed December 2023. 
  11. Vincent MD, et al. Curr Oncol. 2012;19(Suppl 1):S33-44. 
  12. American Cancer Society (ACS). What is Lung Cancer? Last reviewed: 1 Oct 2019. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer/about/what-is.html Accessed December 2023. 
  13. American Cancer Society (ACS). Surgery for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Last reviewed: 1 Oct 2019. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer/treating-non-small-cell/surgery.html Accessed December 2023.
  14.  Cancer.net. Biopsy. Available at: https://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/diagnosing-cancer/tests-and-procedures/biopsy#:~:text=Surgical%20(excisional)%20biopsy.,area%20of%20the%20body%20involved Accessed December 2023. 
  15. American Cancer Society (ACS). Treatment Choices for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, by Stage. Last reviewed 14 Mar 2022. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer/treating-non-small-cell/by-stage.html Accessed December 2023. 
  16. Kessler MD, et al. Trends Cancer. 2018;4(9):643-654. 
  17. Ontario Health (Quality). Ont Health Technol Assess Ser. 2020;20(5):1-176.


GB-73010  I  DOP: January 2026

This website is only intended for UK patients who have been prescribed TAGRISSO® (osimertinib), which is indicated after surgery in adults with stage 1B-3A NSCLC with a particular EGFR mutation, and also in locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with a particular EGFR mutation. It does not replace the Patient Information Leaflet, which you can find in the carton containing your medicine and which you should read alongside this information. If you have any questions about your treatment, talk to your healthcare team or refer to the Patient Information Leaflet.